FAMILY UPDATE NEWS #23 -- AUGUST, 1994.
"We are changing the World because we are changing people, & we have changed hundreds of thousands who are reading what we have to say & are following it!" ("God Is in the Business of Changing the World" ML# 2852:9.)
August, 1994, Home Services, Zurich, Switzerland.
(Required reading for JETTs & up. Selected portions may be shared with children younger than JETTs at the discretion of their teachers, parents or Shepherds.)
NOTICES:
By WS Staff
Thank you for your birthday wishes!
From Mama:
Thanks to all of you who sent birthday wishes to me--cards, letters, & most of all your prayers. We feel richly blessed by your love, & want to do all we can this coming year to love you in return.
Worldwide prayer day to seek the Lord for urgently needed finances
Dad & Mama would like to ask if you could please dedicate one day this next month to desperately pray for finances, both for your individual Home & for World Services. This would be an extra day of prayer; it would not take the place of your regular monthly prayer day.
Your Home may choose when you'd like to have this extra prayer day. You do not need to coordinate it so that all Homes in your Area take the same prayer day, just so long as each Home has one day set aside for this specific purpose. However, there is a new GN on the subject of finances which you should be receiving fairly soon. Please wait until you have received this GN to schedule your prayer day, so you can read & discuss the new Mama Letters contained therein on your prayer day. (Please see GN 598, coming soon! Accompanying this GN will be an LNF with a few more suggestions concerning how to conduct this special prayer day for finances.)
We're sorry to impose upon your time, when we know you are very busy with your many ministries, but as you may be experiencing, the Family's need for greater financial support is becoming more urgent. Not only do many of our Homes need a big financial boost right now, but WS is continuing to have to make some major cutbacks in the financial support that it usually extends to various Units & field projects. Over the last six months, WS has had to reduce the monetary gifts that usually help to support WS Units, production units, pioneer teams, missionaries in Eastern Europe & on poor fields, Area projects, etc.
If WS' financial situation continues as it presently is, we will have to make further cuts in the monthly support that is usually provided to the various Units & pioneer teams. The next step will have to be to cut back on the services WS offers to the Homes. We may have to go back to only one copy of each mailing per Home, & we may have to reduce the variety of pubs that we're able to produce & mail out, as well as decrease the production of DO & DFO audio Tapes. And finally, if our financial crunch gets too bad, then we'll have to slow down on the production of new outreach tools.
We don't mean to alarm you, but we do want you to realise the urgency of this prayer request. WS is desperately in need of finances, if we hope to continue to serve the Family as we presently are!
The financial situations of many Homes have become more desperate as well. We know most of you could sure use more consistent & abundant income too! So please use this day of prayer to not only seek the Lord for WS' needs, but for the needs of your own Home as well. As you know, most of the income for WS comes from your tithes & gifts, so if you pray for your own financial situations, we know the Lord will bless you financially, & consequently WS will benefit as well, through your increased giving.
We know God wants to supply! He has given us many promises in His Word & numerous specific prophecies that indicate that He's more willing to give abundantly than we are to receive. So let's get stirred up, pray desperately, claim His Word, & we won't be disappointed! Praise the Lord!
Thank you very much for taking your time & putting forth the effort to have this urgent prayer day. We pray that it will be a blessing to you & your Home, & we're looking forward to hearing of the miracles of the Lord's supply as a result! We love you very much! God bless, keep & prosper you!
(Note: We pray that most Homes will receive GN 598 within one month of receiving this LNF. But if you have not received GN 598 within one month of receiving this LNF, please do not go ahead with your prayer day. Please wait until you receive the GN, even if that means your prayer day will be later than one month from now. Thanks!)
Don't miss the August DFO FUN!
Unlike the previous DFO FUNs which consisted of articles already published in DO FUNs, all of the testimonies in the August DFO FUN are new!--So please don't miss these exciting accounts of what the Lord is doing through your worldwide Family! As with the DO FUN, all articles are suitable for JETTs & up, & selected articles may be shared with children younger than JETTs, with discretion.
"Request for Contact" Notices
As you will recall, we explained in FUN #19 that the phone number of the Family in Los Angeles has been made available to relatives of Family Members & ex-members as a means for them to renew friendly contact.
We have already received several inquiries, the details of which appear in the "Request for Contact" notice which is enclosed with this FUN.
For those of you whose names appear in this notice--or may appear in future notices--we would like to repeat our following counsel from FUN #19:
"It is entirely up to you as to whether you get in contact with these relatives or not. By publishing such requests, we do not infer that you are required to do so. We are simply providing a service for those who request it. You may have very valid personal reasons for not wishing to contact certain antagonistic relatives. [Whether or not you respond] is a personal decision that you will have to make, depending on your specific situation & what you have the faith for.
"Please also keep in mind that the Family in California cannot act as a go-between in these matters. So if you do enter into contact with relatives that enquire after you, please contact them directly."
We hope that these "Request for Contact" notices will prove to be a blessing to everyone involved.
Prepare for Christmas now!
Thank you for your faithfulness to the Lord, His Work, witnessing and winning souls! As you know, the Christmas season is one of the most opportune times of the year to get out the Message. It's a time when it's especially easy to book performances, not only in institutions or for "Consider the Poor" type situations, but also at company and private Christmas parties, official celebrations, etc. It's also an ideal opportunity to sell large quantities of Videos or Tapes to companies to give as Christmas presents to their employees or clients, etc. Most important, it's a time when people are most open and receptive to the Gospel, which in itself opens many doors which otherwise might be difficult to get in.
But why this talk of Christmas now? After all, in some places it's the middle of Summer! Well, have you ever seen November 1st roll around and you start frantically preparing for your Christmas outreach, trying to get a show troupe together, make bookings, etc., wishing you had started earlier? It's a scenario that, unfortunately, many of us are all too familiar with. So this year we'd like to encourage you to start preparing for Christmas now!
Christmas seems so far away, and with Summer outreach presently underway (in the Northern Hemisphere), Christmas is probably the last thing on your mind; but you'll have a much more fruitful, rewarding and less stressful Christmas if you start planning and preparing well in advance. Here are some of the preparations you can start making now, and continue in the coming months, to help you be ready for Christmas:
1. Start approaching companies with the idea of selling them large quantities of Videos and/or Tapes for Christmas presents for their employees. Many companies take care of this well in advance of Christmas, so don't delay! It's a wonderful way to get out the Message and also bring in finances! You can also approach companies about sponsoring Videos and/or Tapes as Christmas gifts for institutions, such as schools, hospitals, orphanages, centres for juvenile delinquents, etc.
(Note: If you reach an agreement with a company to purchase tools for their employees at Christmas time, please be sure to supply them with the tools well in advance of the date agreed upon. Don't risk being late or defaulting on your agreement by leaving it to the last minute, as something unexpected could come up that could delay you. Better safe than sorry, and better early than late! So be prepared early!)
2. Start preparing your Christmas show troupe by learning/practising songs in the local language, dance routines, Christmas plays, gathering and making props and costumes, etc. If you work it into your schedule now, you'll not only be better rehearsed by Christmas, but you can spread out your practice time over the next few months and avoid a last-minute "pre-Christmas cram."
3. Start making your bookings for Christmas performances now! Most large companies, as well as many institutions, book their Christmas entertainment as early as July or August! If you wait until October or November, you'll find that even if many people are interested and would like to book you, they unfortunately will have to turn you down, since their Christmas programmes are already fully booked.
4. Start advertising your Christmas show when doing outreach or follow-up! Put together a simple album, or a little brochure with photos of your troupe (and/or shots from previous Christmases), which you can show or give to every potential contact, or even people who purchase Videos from you or the people from whom you provision.
5. For those of you making a special Summer witnessing push with a singing troupe, after your Summer performances you can make arrangements with your hosts for you to come again at Christmas time.--It's an ideal time to promote your Christmas troupe, because they've just seen the sample!
Perhaps many Homes have been hesitant to prepare for Christmas so far in advance because of uncertainty as to whether their present team will still be together by Christmas, due to personnel changes which might come up. We'd advise you to go ahead and make your bookings and advertise your team anyway, and if by Christmas time one or two of your troupe members have moved to another Home, then you can work out replacements, or if they've moved to a Home nearby, perhaps they can remain a part of your troupe for the Christmas season. Or if you already have a good team together, then perhaps it would be good to stick together up until and through the Christmas season. Personnel moves just before Christmas are especially disruptive, so try to avoid them unless absolutely necessary.
However, once you make bookings and commit yourselves to perform at certain events, it's extremely important that you hold true to your word. If people are counting on you, don't let them down!--Because if you do, your hosts will not only be very disappointed, but they may even be offended and angry if they end up in the difficult situation of having to scramble to rearrange their programmes at the last minute!
Booking in advance has the tremendous advantage of making more bookings in more places, which means a greater witness and more tools out, but it's also a commitment and responsibility! Please don't cancel your appointments unless absolutely unavoidable! If something comes up and you personally cannot fulfil your obligation to perform, then try to arrange for a singing team from another Home to take on the appointment if possible. If you absolutely must cancel, then do so as far in advance as possible. Don't cancel at the last minute, as it's a very poor testimony and you'll most likely never be invited back!
Since our Homes and Members are now all going by the name "The Family," to outsiders you are representatives of the entire Family, and therefore anything you do will either help enhance the Family's reputation, or will help tear it down. People are more likely to think of you as representatives of a larger organisation than as individuals, so please bear this in mind when it comes to keeping your word on scheduled appointments, being on time, being a good sample while you perform or witness, or anything you do!
No matter where you are, no matter what you do, if it is a positive sample, it will reflect positively on the Family as a whole. On the other hand, if it is a bad sample, it will reflect negatively on the Family as a whole, and hurt the Family's witness and effectiveness. We're all in this together, and what you or your Home do has an effect, either good or bad, that can reach far beyond your own local work. May God bless you with a good sample and testimony of His Work!
We'd also suggest that if you make appointments months in advance, that you call a couple of weeks before the appointment to make sure it's still on, as well as to confirm the details of the booking. It would be a shame to arrive at an appointment to perform only to find that it was cancelled for one reason or another without your prior knowledge. This would also give you the opportunity to book your team for other performances in the event of any cancellations.
We love you very much and pray you'll not only have a wonderfully fruitful Summer witnessing explosion, but that you'll also take full advantage of the upcoming Christmas witnessing season by planning and booking in advance! Start now! December will be here before you know it, and then you'll be glad you did! Praise the Lord!
"True-life" & "true-to-life" stories--what's the difference?
We have received several requests for a clarification of the two very similar terms "true-life story" & "true-to-life story"--both of which have been used at times as subtitles in our publications. Here is the explanation:
A "true-life story" is a factual account of something that actually happened--in other words, a true story.
A "true-to-life story" is a fictional narrative which is so close to life, that it very well could have happened to someone, somewhere, at some time. For example, the "Victory in Babylon" series & the article "On the Road!--Personal Witnessing Adventures" in Hope Mag #33 are good examples of "true-to-life" stories. Although the characters, settings & events are made up, these stories are based on similar situations which some Family Members have actually experienced--thus the term "true-to-life".
On the other hand, all of the stories in the "Power & Protection" CLTP mags, as well as the upcoming "Power for Healing" & "Power & Protection in Persecution" issues are true stories, & bear the subtitle "True-Life Stories."
Some true-life stories must be taken by faith, particularly those where we don't know the author, & the events they describe cannot be confirmed by scientific evidence, or medical documentation, etc. An example of this is the Christian Digest "Within the Gates" (CD#14). Did this woman actually experience these things, or only imagine them?--Or did she simply make them up? She doesn't go to great lengths to prove her story to the reader, &, as with any other near-death experience, we don't know for sure that she had these experiences; we can only take her word for it.
In her case, perhaps the best "proof" is that her experience parallels other accounts of the death experience & Heaven found in the Bible & the Letters. Details about the Heavenly City, heavenly mansions, pets in Heaven, supernatural bodies, etc., are remarkably close to what Dad has taught us. In like manner, Scriptural precedents or parallels can be found for the other "miracle" testimonies we publish.
So why doubt these true-life stories?--Particularly when the authors are testifying of their Christian faith & giving God the glory. Let's take them by faith & have our faith strengthened thereby! (See Rom.15:4 & 1Co.10:11.)
Thank you for comments on Tapes & Videos
Thank you for including testimonies & reactions about the Tapes & Videos with your TRFs. These are passed on to the WS Audio & Video Studios, & they are always a great encouragement to those who work so hard to produce these tools. Thank you so much for your thoughtful comments & expressions of appreciation for their labours! We love you!
Tip for campers
Some Boy Scout camps, church camps & company camps cost only a fraction of what commercial ones charge. Also, they are often not in use year-round, or even the whole Summer, so they may even be more available than the high-priced commercial campgrounds.
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EUROPE
UPDATE ON PEARL'S CASE: From the London Legal Team: After the final hearing in Pearl's case was held on July 13th, we all breathed a collective sigh of relief. It's been a long haul, but we can truly say "hitherto hath the Lord helped us." (1Sam.7:12) We are all so thankful for His love & care!
The judge will make his judgement in late September, so that gives us two more months to pray for him. The Lord has told us that this case must be won through prayer, so actually the most important battle lies ahead. Now that we no longer face the day-to-day details & ups & downs of the court proceedings, we can focus on the one thing that is now most needful--praying for the Lord to help the judge to "judge righteous judgement!"
Thank you, dear Family, for continuing to pray for a victory in this case. We need you & your prayers so much!
UPDATE ON THE FRENCH COURT CASE: Although the case in France is not officially closed, all the Family Members who have so far been restricted by the court from leaving the country have had their passports returned & are free to leave! (A couple of Family Members will remain in France until the case is closed.)
The judge has suggested a meeting in September or October at which members of ADFI will confront three Family Members with their allegations, with the judge present. Please pray for the Family Members who will attend this meeting, as they prepare their answers & rebuttals.
Also, in September or October, after the judge has received the psychiatric evaluations of the children, he may call those members still in France for further interviews.
At that point, the prosecutor will make his recommendation, & the judge will decide whether or not the case goes to court. The earliest that the case could be closed is December of this year.
EUROPEAN FAMILY'S "SWIFT" TEAMS ARE OFF & RUNNING! Throughout Europe, entire families are going out on witnessing road trips for at least two weeks during the Summer months. Initial reports from these "SWIFT" teams (Summer Witnessing Inspired Family Teams) have been very encouraging! Until early July, most of the SWIFT teams were preparing for the Summer witnessing push. The Lord supplied free or greatly discounted accommodations in Summer witnessing hot spots, new vehicles, engagements for singing troupes & openings to minister at refugee camps.
New outreaches include puppet shows & sidewalk sketching (while other team members Poster & witness to the crowd that gathers to watch). Teams are breaking new ground from Portugal to Turkey!
MAKARSKA: A DREAM COME TRUE! From Ready (Joseph Eastman) & the Croatia Team: The night before we first arrived in Makarska, where we began a ministry to U.N. soldiers, Peace had a vivid dream which she shared with us the next morning.
In her dream, we were witnessing to a group of U.N. officials & giving them a Daniel 2 class, when one of the young officers stood up & said, "You guys know so much, this is just incredible!" Then he turned to Peace & asked, "You've been born into this? What do you say? What do you believe?" As she continued with more Scriptures & explanations of how current events are fulfilling prophecies about the Endtime, he was amazed! (End of dream.)
Later that day we stopped in Makarska just to make a phone call, then continue on our way to Dubrovnik in southern Croatia, & possibly on to Bosnia. Before we managed to leave town, however, we stopped to sing some songs to a few U.N. soldiers, & started witnessing to them. As our witness turned to the Endtime message & the AC Conspiracy, we realized that Peace's dream was coming true! Then Peace overheard one of the soldiers say to his friend, "You know, these guys know so much! It's amazing!" Praise the Lord!--A dream come true!--And Makarska continues to be a witnesser's dream come true! It's a ripe harvest field with many opportunities to reach Bosnian refugees, Croatians & U.N. soldiers! Thank you for upholding us in your prayers!
RELATIONS WITH NORWEGIAN CHURCH LEADERS BEGIN TO THAW. Since 1972, relations between Norwegian church leaders & the Family have been icy at best. That is now changing, after a recent church-sponsored seminar at which the Family was invited to speak. The Family's presentation & a question-&-answer period followed a musical performance by children from the local Homes. Afterwards, Family Members & other delegates took the opportunity to become personally acquainted.
SURPRISE ANSWER TO PRAYER! From a Home in Switzerland: We prayed recently for more visitors to our Home, for good relations with local authorities, & for miracles of supply & protection. The Lord answered all four prayers at once, & in a most surprising way!
One day a group of soldiers knocked on our door. They explained that they were on manoeuvres in the area, & had been assigned to guard our property. Apparently their commander had not realized that our house, which is located in a village of mostly vacation homes, was occupied. Of course we complied with their plans, & helped them feel welcome.
That evening their sergeant apologetically asked us if he & his men could sleep in our basement, as it was snowing & extremely cold outside. We agreed, got them settled in, & let them use our kitchen to cook their dinner & make warm soup for the night guards. Some of the children even read & talked to the soldiers during their watches. The next morning, before they left, the kids sang to them all, & passed out "Somebody Loves You!" tracts.
"This is the first time my men have been received & treated so well!" the commander of their garrison said. The army even offered to pay us quite well for the day they spent in our Home, which turned out to be an unexpected financial boost!
The kids really enjoyed witnessing to the soldiers, & this experience helped alleviate fears which some of them had developed after hearing about persecution in other countries where uniformed police were involved.
FAMILY MEMBERS MEET ALEXANDER SOLZHENITSYN. Russia: Newheart & Russian Claire met Alexander Solzhenitsyn when he visited Khabarovsk, in Far-Eastern Russia, with his family. They presented him with a Family presentation brochure, four Posters, "Who Is Jesus?" & photos of their recent humanitarian aid project. As he shook Mr. Solzhenitsyn's hand & Claire translated, Newheart told him that the Family prays for him & admires his courage & faith in God. Mr. Solzhenitsyn smiled broadly & thanked them in English.
ANTAGONISTIC NEWSPAPER CLOSES. Hungary: The newspaper which published most of the false & biased reports about the Family during last Summer's media persecution--one of Hungary's largest papers at the time--has gone bankrupt & is no more!
HOME PIONEERED IN SLOVAKIA. Family Members planned to open a new Home in Prague, Czech Republic, but the Lord showed them to go instead to the newly formed country of Slovakia, where we had no Homes. They obeyed & soon met a lady who rented a very nice 12-bedroom house to them. Slovakia has a big problem with their youth, & many new friends are very thankful for the Family's counselling ministries there.
ALBANIAN YOUTH FIND FAITH & PURPOSE IN JESUS. From John Meek, Albania: We received the following letters from two young people we met here recently.
"I don't know if you remember me, but my name is Sueda & I'm 16 years old. My parents are Muslim, but they don't believe in God very much. They think that school, health, future & a comfortable life are more important than God. I know they are wrong. Nothing is more important than God. I love Jesus so much that I decided to became a Christian.--Sueda"
"I have always dreamed of being in a Christian group as you are. I love God & I want to dedicate all my life to Him. Even if I should have three lives I will dedicate all of them to God. I wish to do everything possible to spread the Word of God. Please will you accept me into your group?--With special love, Eda"
NORTH AMERICA
FAMILY ADDRESSES NATIONAL COUNCIL OF CHURCHES COMMITTEE. In mid-June, representatives from the Family spoke before the Committee on Religious Liberty of the National Council of Churches. One of the participants later told us that he feels we have been accepted by the Committee as a bona fide religious movement, & many church leaders now understand that we are genuine & sincere Christians.
CHURCH MINISTRY UPDATE: From Rufus & Victor, Florida: Several churches in our area have asked for our help. After visiting our Home with his wife, one pastor said he was especially impressed by how organised & outreach-minded our work is, as demonstrated by the bulletin boards, schedules & prayer reminders he saw posted around the house.
Another missionary-minded pastor from a mainstream denomination has asked us to work together to reach the neighbourhood surrounding his church. In response, we offered to hold a two-part witnessing/follow-up seminar for members of his congregation. On a month-by-month trial basis, we will also witness door-to-door in that neighbourhood for several hours each Saturday afternoon & refer converts to his church.
A laywoman from another local church wants to have the church adopt us as their missionary arm to try to reach their neighbourhood. We agreed on a trial basis to do once-a-week lunchtime musical meetings in a park next to the church. She took one look at the Kiddie Viddies & audio cassettes & said, "What wonderful products! We should be getting these out by the thousands!"
Yet another church has asked us to lead the singing at their services twice a month, replacing the organist. The first week three adults sang with a guitar. We selected one song from the hymnal & typed out the words to two "loving Jesus" songs which the church printed as an insert to their weekly program/bulletin. During the offering we sang an unscheduled fourth song, "Through It All."
It couldn't have gone any better! We just sang informally like we do when we're together at Home, & encouraged everyone to join in. This is quite a formal church, but people clapped along with the songs, & some were so moved that they cried. During the service the pastor decided to take up an extra love offering for us. Afterwards members of the congregation told us, "You have brought life to our church!" & "This is the first time I've ever felt the Spirit of God!" The church secretary described it as a "mass infusion of life!"
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From Seek: The church where the Texas-based teen show troupe performed their first concert is one of the most affluent in the area. The pastor is trying to stir up his congregation--especially the young people--so he invited the Family to perform & provide positive peer pressure at the opening of their youth week. The teens from this church are completely out of touch with the problems that the "real world" faces, & were anxious to talk with our World-travelled missionary teens after the show.
SOCIOLOGIST GIVES WISE REPLIES TO UNCHRISTIAN ATTACK BY CHRISTIAN MAGAZINE: A graduate student of sociology wrote to a Christian magazine after they published a very biased article about the Family. Although the staff of this magazine are close personal friends of his, he does not agree with their bashing of other Christian groups such as the Family, & rose to our defence, God bless him!
He presents his case well from both Christian & academic points of view, so you may wish to make note of the logic of his closing argument & use it should you ever face similar accusations from people who think that some of our past practices were mistakes. We know that they were not & we should stand up for our convictions, but if others want to think we made mistakes, they are still almost bound to forgive us if they have been able to forgive Christians of the past.
(Unlike the author of the magazine article, who never met or interviewed the Family, this young man speaks from firsthand knowledge. The Family in the U.S. has met with him a number of times, either privately or at conferences of sociologists & academics, & he has visited a Home on several occasions. Excerpts of his rebuttal:)
"The primary contention of your article--that The Family is in fact not a Christian organisation--is not proven in your article.... The crux of your argument appears to be that The Family has not adequately repented of their past sins & excesses, & that it does not listen to the advice given to it by others within the body of believers.... The group is certainly more orthodox now than it was 15 years ago, & more changes will probably be forthcoming in the future--if dialogue is not preempted by flurries of spurious charges & needlessly confrontational, patronising rhetoric from well-meaning `friends.'
"Furthermore, I would argue that, in spite of some of the group's eccentricities, the group may be substantially more orthodox than the hierarchies of several of the `mainline' denominations! Unlike, say, the Presbyterian Church of the U.S.A. & the Episcopal Church, each of which has large contingents pressing for same-sex unions & homosexual clergy, allow abortion on demand, and--far more importantly--no longer requires an orthodox allegiance to [such] historic Christian doctrines as the virgin birth, the divinity of Jesus, or the resurrection, The Family does strongly affirm these historic beliefs. They also have fairly traditional notions of sin & repentance. If this is true & The Family does have a reasonable orthodox understanding of what it means to be a Christian, how can they be denied a place in the Body of Christ? Or are we now a body of the perfect--or at least perfect in lifestyle--rather than a body of sinners?
"Indeed, instead of trying to pry a formal repudiation of their past actions out of them, it may be worthwhile to remember St. Augustine, who is still venerated for his devotion to Jesus & his Christian vision, as shown in his Confessions & the City of God. We do not waste time demanding some sort of retraction for the fact that he was also responsible for the torture of heretics who disagreed with him, or the fact that he was also a misogynist [woman hater]. Can we do any less for our contemporary brothers & sisters as they work out their paths of salvation with fear & trembling--even if their mistakes are not exactly the same as our own?--J.M.B."
FORMER MEMBERS RENEW CONTACT. From Willing, David, Al & Pandita, U.S.A.: When we contacted a man who wrote for a copy of a Poster he had seen on the wall of a shop, we found that he had been in the Family, but left about 10 years ago.
He had some sad tales to tell, including one about how social services had taken away his kids for a time because he home-schooled them. Only after he got a job & enrolled them in public school did he get them back. He still seemed quite bitter at the System about that, but we were able to encourage him to look to the Lord for strength & help.
When we visited him & his children, our teens sang Family songs & we showed them the "New Worlds" Video. His 19-year-old son cried through the Video. They helped with a generous donation, & want to stay in contact.
CONVICTION & FACTS WIN INSPECTOR: From Ruthie, U.S.A.: While helping a brother visiting from overseas find a sponsor for his wife & children's visas to the U.S., we were introduced to a man whom we hoped would sign the needed paperwork. He turned out to be one of the chief inspectors for the Social Services Department in this state. He had heard all the negative publicity about us, & confronted us about it on the spot. We dispelled the lies with the truth about the Family, & explained our enemies' motives. We finished our meeting by praying together. As he was undecided as to whether or not he would sign the papers, we left them with him. A couple of days later he had the papers signed, notarised & ready for us! "God has willed His truth to triumph through us!" Praise the Lord!
FUND RAISING FOR EAST COAST SHOW TROUPE: From the Washington, D.C. Home: The Family in this area recently had a "fundraising weekend" to help our East Coast show troupe get started. One particularly novel approach, washing cars, provided a great opportunity to reach members of the neighbouring community while raising funds for needed equipment.
A friend of ours owns a strategically located gas station, & he let our car wash team use his facilities. They strung up a large banner which read, "The Family, Making a Better World," as well as large car wash signs & lots of balloons.
In addition to those actually washing cars, we had another team at the car wash with photo albums & literature, & they witnessed to the customers as they waited for their cars to be washed. Rather than asking a set price for each car wash, we simply explained our work & asked for donations. One Saturday we washed 72 cars & witnessed to nearly 100 people.
FAMILY PARTICIPATES IN WORLDWIDE "MARCH FOR JESUS": From the Boston Home: On June 25th, eight members of our Home participated in Boston's annual "March for Jesus!" Our picket signs--enlarged "Stand Up for Jesus!" posters--drew lots of positive comments from the crowd, & we made several promising new contacts. (That same day, "March for Jesus!" demonstrations were in a total of 300 U.S. cities & 170 nations around the World.)
AUSTRALIA
ASSESSMENTS BY MELBOURNE EDUCATION DEPARTMENT END ON POSITIVE NOTE. "It is very impressive how much you have been able to accomplish with your kids," inspectors from the Department of Education told the parents & teachers of the Melbourne Homes as they concluded their inspection of their home schooling programmes. (The review was part of the mediation agreement signed in April by the Family & Health & Community Services [H&CS], which effectively ended our two-year court battle there.)
One inspector gave 5-year-old Arthur & 4-year-old John especially high marks for diplomacy. Both wanted to read to him from the same book, so they discussed the situation between themselves, then one announced, "He will read the first two pages, & I'll read the next two!"
"I'm surprised that the two little boys could work out their problem so amiably," the visiting official said. "Most children their age would have argued."
Tip: The visiting Education Department officials suggested that we approach schools for books & supplies. Most schools bring in new resources each few years, & are often able to donate or sell older items very cheaply.
ASIA
REACHING INDIA'S DEAF COMMUNITY: The Family in India has been working with the deaf for over ten years, & hundreds of deaf--mostly teenagers, young adults or young families--now consider themselves part-time Family Members.
Recently, the Family held a meeting for parents of their part-time deaf members, as well as leaders in the deaf community--200 people in all. The deaf young people performed "The Rock in the Road" drama in sign language, accompanied by a Hindi soundtrack. Everyone was right on cue, & it was tremendous! The parents were very pleased to see firsthand the activities their children are involved in, & to hear a summary of all that they have accomplished over the past few years.
Our deaf part-time members distributed over 6,000 Posters & led 5,500 people to receive Jesus this past month alone!
CHILDREN PERFORM ON THAI TV. Some months ago, while conducting a programme at a local institution, members of a Home in Thailand met the producer of a very popular children's television show. At her invitation, their younger children recently performed two songs on her show, & an adult member explained about the Family to the parents watching.
SOUTH AMERICA
BIBLE CLASSES WIN FOLLOWING. From Tito, Rosi & Francisco, Peru: We now hold regular Bible classes in our Home. About 15 to 20 friends & neighbours attend each class. Some are already asking how they can join or help the Family. A deputy cabinet minister of our province said he just came over out of curiosity, but he stayed for three hours.
ARGENTINA FOLLOW-UP MINISTRY: From Sam, Rosa & Virginia (TSers), Argentina: The Lord has given us the opportunity to work with two post-persecution ministries: The prison ministry, which Virginia has been managing single-handedly up to now, & a fledgling "Consider the Poor" ministry, which we're also really excited about.
Virginia was one of the first TSers to take food, blankets & other needs to Family members while they were in prison, immediately after the raids in Buenos Aires. She now visits Mary (former cellmate of Claire, Flor, Paloma & Charity) regularly. It's an all-day affair for Virginia, requiring up to seven transfers on public transport to get to the prison! She brings food to Mary, but most important, she feeds her the good spiritual food of God's Word!
Mary seems to be turning into a real bellwether. She's organised a little library of Family publications including Good Thots, Treasures, & the GP Daily Might, which she lends to other interested prisoners. Mary has also led many of her cellmates to the Lord, & brings others to meet Virginia so she can witness to them.
One of the lawyers who helped the Family during the persecution also helps sponsor a home for over 250 "street children." Recently he has been having difficulty obtaining enough wholesome food for the children, so we offered to help. For many years, friends of the Family supplied most of the Buenos Aires Homes' needs. Now that much of the Family has left, we have far more than we need. We're so happy to be able to share with these needy children, & our friends are happy to have another good cause to help support! The Lord even supplied our Home with a pickup truck, which we needed to help gather the goods & deliver them to the orphanage!
HOMEGOING ANNOUNCEMENTS
1. Pepe, severely handicapped son of Ebed & Maggi (Estrela), was hospitalised for sudden respiratory problems, & went to be with the Lord a few hours later. Thank the Lord his suffering is now over & he is completely whole & healthy in his new Heavenly home! How happy he must be!
The Daily Light reading on the morning of his homegoing contained these verses: "We ourselves groan within ourselves, waiting for the adoption, to wit the redemption of our body. It shall be said in that day, Lo, this is our God; we have waited for Him, & He will save us: this is the Lord; we have waited for Him, we will be glad & rejoice in His salvation" (Rom.8:23; Isa.25:9).
2. Polish Magda & Matthew's baby girl was delivered naturally in a hospital, & went to be with the Lord shortly after birth. (See FUN 22:2.)
Dear Magda & Matthew,
God bless you! We love you & pray that the Lord will more than fill the empty space left by the loss of your baby.
Shall we bring our hearts so empty
That He fill them with His plenty?
Shall we let Him change our sadness
Into wondrous selfless gladness?
Shall we come? He waits to bless!
To fill up all our emptiness!
Now that the hour of greatest trial is past, we can better understand & appreciate the Lord's tender mercies; He was faithful to prepare your hearts ahead of time, & spared your little girl suffering by taking her back into His loving arms. Thank You Jesus!
Love & prayers,
Your Family
3. Gabriel of Miracle (TSer), U.S.A., went to be with the Lord after a long bout of cancer (PL 19:77). As Gabe's health deteriorated rapidly over the last several weeks, the Lord prepared his & his loved ones' hearts for his homegoing. At his funeral, members of Gabriel's Home gave the other mourners copies of a special edition of the "Heaven's Gates" Christian Digest which had a cover photo of Gabe & a caption which said, "I am Your Servant, Thy will be done!" Miracle & the children are taking Gabe's homegoing positively & victoriously, but please keep them in your prayers as this is still a very difficult time.
ANSWERED PRAYER
DAD HAS BEEN HEALED OF THE MAJOR EFFECTS OF A VERY BAD FLU which was accompanied by a racking cough, sore throat, painful hemorrhoids & extreme weakness. This illness has caused him to be bedridden for over a week. Worst of all, he awoke two days ago with a blockage in his throat which prevented him from swallowing any nourishment at all.
Dad & Mama's staff, who had been praying desperately every day for Dad's recovery, immediately began a day of prayer & fasting, along with some of our WS Units. This, along with Dad's will to live for our sakes, together with your continual prayers (even though you didn't know of the serious problem) helped him resist & overcome the Enemy! He is now drinking normally, his throat is less painful, his cough & hemorrhoids are getting better, & he is feeling a little stronger every day! Praise the Lord!
Please pray that the Lord will quickly raise Dad to full strength, & heal him of all his afflictions soon. Mama has also been quite sick & unable to work for several days. She requests your prayers for her strength & against ear complications brought on by this flu. Please also pray for Dad & Mama's staff, some of whom have been afflicted with this illness.
The Lord said in prophecy:
"It is a good thing that thou dost call upon Me for the strength of thy father David, that he may continue to guide thee in the ways of love & the laws of love, & that he may have wherewithal to speak the words that I have chosen to give him for this last generation. And, yea, though the flesh may be weak, the spirit is strong, for it is My Spirit speaking through him & working in him. The Spirit shall not depart from him, but shall cause him to prosper whithersoever he goeth. For I the Lord thy God shall be with him & shall guide him at his right hand. I shall strengthen the feeble knees & I shall be there for him to lean upon. For I walk close to his side as I walked with Adam in the Garden, & I wish to fellowship with him much more, that through strengthening him I might strengthen thee & this movement which I have caused to flourish throughout the World."
SUSI, YOUNG DAUGHTER OF JONATHAN & CLARA IN SOUTH AMERICA, WAS HEALED OF MENINGITIS! Susi was hospitalised for several weeks with meningitis (see PL 19:81), but after much prayer by the South American Family & others, she is recovering miraculously! She is back home, & shows no signs of permanent damage. Her full recovery is expected to take several months, so please keep her in your prayers! (She needs to learn to crawl & walk all over again.)
"KEEP ON BELIEVING THE STORM WILL PASS!" The Family in England was gearing up for a major media storm, which was expected to follow the broadcast of a tabloid TV documentary featuring a number of our most venomous backsliders (see PL 19:118). However, the day after the showing, not one newspaper carried an article about the show. When the Family contacted several friends in the media they were told, "It was a non-event. You have nothing to worry about!" The whole smear campaign planned by our enemies just fell flat!
ELDRIDGE CLEAVER THANKS FAMILY FOR PRAYERS. Some months ago, a mutual friend told Family members in the U.S. that former Black militant Eldridge Cleaver, who is now an active Christian speaker, was in critical condition following a beating. Although this did not appear as a prayer request in the worldwide Prayer List or FUN, some Family Members who were aware of his situation prayed for him. He has now recovered, & recently conveyed his thanks for those prayers. He would also like to visit a Home.
PRAYER REQUESTS
Critical & life-&-death situations: (For age 14 & over.)
1. Hope Gepetto (TSer) is in serious condition following surgery to remove a large malignant tumour from her brain. Please pray for the Lord to have His perfect way & either heal her completely & speedily, or take her home to her heavenly reward.
Court cases:
2. Pearl's case: That the Lord will turn the judge's heart toward Pearl & the Family so that he will rule for Sammy to remain with his mother in the Family. Please also pray specifically for Pearl's strength & encouragement, as this prolonged period awaiting the final judgement is an especially trying time for her.
3. Argentina: Please continue to pray that this case will be formally closed.
4. Spain: For both the Constitutional & Supreme Courts in Spain to reject the District Attorney's appeal of our victory in Barcelona; that our Attorney's letter to the Constitutional Court will carry enough weight in our favour to convince the court to reject the appeal; & that our lawyers' submissions to the Supreme Court will likewise have the same effect.
5. France: For Family Members who are preparing to rebut ADFI's accusations against the Family. This will take place in the presence of the judge who is presiding over the French court case, sometime in September or October.
Europe:
6. Croatia refugee relief team: Continued fruitful witnessing, protection, & better housing.
7. SWIFT teams: Fruitful witnessing, bountiful supply, safety, & renewed faith & fire!
8. Paula (Faithy): Healing of low blood pressure which causes tiredness & chest pains.
North America:
9. Lizzy (of Jerry & Julie) needs an operation to remove one of her kidneys which is not functioning. Please pray that the operation will go safely & smoothly, that there won't be any further infection, that Lizzy will have faith, peace & trust during this difficult time, & that she will recover quickly.
10. Dust: Healing of a persistent back problem which causes considerable pain & adds greatly to the strain of his responsibilities, which involve lots of travelling. He is now in a wheelchair.
11. For two teen show troupes which are doing tours or concerts this Summer.
South America:
12. Susi (of Jonathan & Clara): For her complete & speedy recovery from the aftereffects of meningitis.
13. For warmer weather in Southern Brazil, which is experiencing the coldest Winter in 20 years.
Copyright (c) 1998 by The Family